


Rabbit Season

by scruffandyarn



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anesthetics make Sam a little loopy, Humor, M/M, Surgery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-10
Updated: 2014-11-10
Packaged: 2018-02-24 20:08:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2594858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scruffandyarn/pseuds/scruffandyarn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam has to have his gallbladder removed.  But he's new in town and doesn't have anyone to drive him home.  Hopefully the taxi driver will understand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rabbit Season

Sam tried not to groan, but this was absolutely killing him.

“I know this may be a strange question, but have you ever had your appendix out?” The nurse leaned over and smiled sympathetically.

“What--no.  Never--damn it!” Sam shifted, hoping to relieve some of the pain that was coursing through his right side.  The only thing that seemed to work was direct pressure to the spot, but the stupid nurse was currently trying to do an ultrasound and he couldn’t get to the spot.

“Ah--there it is.”

“W-What?” Sam turned his head towards the monitor--all he could see was a bunch of splotches on the screen.

“Your gallbladder.  It’s actually not your appendix, as far as I can tell.  Usually, if I can find it, then it means your appendix is inflamed and infected.  But I couldn’t find it.  But here,” she pointed to a particular section of splotches, “this is your gallbladder.  And just by looking at this, I have a feeling the doctor is going to want to remove it.”

“Remove it--like surgery?”

“Well, he could take it out through your nose, but I doubt that would feel good.”

Sam just stared at the nurse.

“Honey, it shouldn’t take more than an hour--four little incisions, and then you’ll be ready to go home this evening.”

“Home?  You want me to drive home--ah--after surgery?”

“You don’t have anyone to drive you home?”

“Just--just moved to town.  Don’t really know anyone in the area.” Sam winced.  “Do you suppose I could get some pain medication or something and just go home?”

“If the doctor says yes, then sure.  Otherwise, no can do.”  The nurse started to clean up the gel from his skin.  “I will get you started on some pain medication, though.”

“Thanks.”

 

About twenty minutes later, some hot guy with a beard and a stethoscope--stethoscopes--whatever around his neck came in and started talking to Sam.  Sam wasn’t really sure what Dr. Sexy-something-or-other was talking about.  The morphine had him floating.  He got the jist of the conversation, though--surgery.  His gallbladder had to come out.  And it had to come out  now .

 

Sam came to after surgery feeling less than spectacular.  A different nurse than the one he vaguely remembered seeing was discussing post-something-care.  He nodded whenever the nurse stopped talking and looked at him.  She kept going, so he assumed he’d made the correct gestures.

 

“Do you have a relative or friend who can drive you home?”

“Home?” That was the only word Sam’s brain picked out of her question.

“Home--the address you put on our forms when you checked in?” she prompted.

“Home.” He blinked at her.  “I’m going home.”

“Right, but not on your own.  If you don’t have someone to take you home, I can have Piccolo down at the front desk get you a cab.”

“A cab home.”

“Right!”

“Need--need my pants, first.”

 

Thirty minutes later, Sam was dressed, checked out, and standing out front of Seattle Mercy Hospital, waiting for his taxi to arrive.  Ellen--the somewhat neurotic woman who’d called the cab for him was waiting with him.

Finally, a bright yellow car pulled up to the curb just in front of him.  The front passenger window rolled down and Sam could see an adorable face staring up at him.

“Sam Winchester?”

“Yup.” Sam grinned.

This cute little elf even knew his name!  It must be fate!

“You got his home address, Gabriel?”  Ellen asked, leaning down to look the driver in the eye.

“You gave it to me on the phone, El--I got this.  But then I’m off the clock.”  

The driver disappeared from Sam’s view only to reappear as he exited the vehicle.  Sam grinned--he was right about the little part.  And the cute part.  Man, his face put that doctor to shame.

“My, you are a tall drink of water, aren’t you?” 

Gabriel--that was his name, right?--circled around his car and helped Ellen load Sam into the backseat.  Ellen made sure to hand the paperwork Sam would need off to Gabriel.

“Thanks.”

“Thank you for the eye candy.” Gabriel winked at Sam before shutting the door.  He ignored Ellen’s eyeroll and moved back to the driver’s seat.  “Ready to go, Sammy-boy?” He checked on his passenger through the rear-view mirror.

Sam pouted and folded his arms across his chest.  “Not Sammy.  Not a kid.”

Gabriel laughed.  “You’re certainly pouting like one, kiddo.”  Gabriel shifted the car into drive and they were off.  “Ellen tells me you’re new in town?”

“Last weekend.” Sam stopped pouting and sagged down into the seat.  “You’re cute.”

“Not too bad yourself, Sam.” Gabriel reached for the radio knob.

“No--no music.  Please.  Dean always plays music while we’re in the car.  I wanna talk.”

“Okay, what do you want to talk about?”

“You’re way hotter than that sexy doctor back at the hospital.  Like, I’d totally ask you out if I thought you’d say yes.”

“Oh, if you weren’t out of your mind on anesthetics, I would totally take you up on that offer.” 

Sam caught a flash of Gabriel’s smile in the mirror.

“Really?  So, you date guys?”

“Guys, girls, and everything in between.  But I’ve hit a bit of a dry spell, if that’s what you want to know.  Haven’t dated anyone in almost a year.”

“You should date me.  I’m gonna be a lawyer.  I’m gonna make lots of money.  I’d even buy you a rabbit or something.”

“A rabbit, huh?  That might be an offer I can’t refuse.”

“No--not a rabbit.  I’m gonna get a dog.”

“But what if I wanted a rabbit?” Gabriel grinned at the puzzled look on Sam’s face.  “You’re not gonna get me a rabbit?” He pouted, though, when he caught Sam’s eye.

“Um...I guess I don’t need a dog.”  Sam really wanted Gabriel to stop looking so sad.  “Maybe I can get the rabbit to do tricks or something.”

“Oh, Sam--you are the cutest thing ever.”

“Nuh-uh.  You’re cuter.  And I should know.  Because I said so.” He hoped he was glaring at Gabriel, but since Gabriel was laughing, maybe he wasn’t doing it right.  

“Okay, Sam, let’s say I let you take me out on a date.  What would we do?”

“What do you like to do?”

“I like carnivals.”

“No!  No carnivals.  Clowns--no.” Sam shivered. “Something else.  Something we could both do.”

“Umm, maybe dinner?”

“Dinner is good.” Sam paused for a moment.  “I think I’m hungry.”

“I think maybe you better sleep off all the meds running through your system before you try to eat anything.”

“Kay.”  Sam looked down and started picking at a loose thread on his jeans.  Crap--how was he supposed to impress the hot car guy if his clothes were a mess?  “I don’t usually look so sloppy.” 

“You look better than you do right now?” Gabriel let out a disbelieving whistle.  “I doubt it.  And if it’s true, then you are way out of my league.  Hell--you’re out of my league as is.”

“I don’t play baseball.”  He leaned forward.  “But I wouldn’t mind hitting you home.”  

Shit--that was supposed to have been smooth.  Why the hell was Gabriel laughing?

“Damn, I wish I had a camera in here or something.  You are absolutely the most fun fare I’ve had all day.”

“So you’ll go on a date with me, then?” Sam was feeling hopeful.

“Tell you what, you ask me out when you’re not all kinds of loopy, I will definitely say yes.”

“Sweet!”

It wasn’t long before Gabriel pulled into the familiar parking lot of Sam’s apartment complex.

“Alright, stud, this is your stop.” Gabriel turned in his seat.

“I--I can’t feel my legs.” Sam began to panic.  “Are they broken?  Did the hospital give me defective legs?”

“Why are the hot ones always crazy?” Gabriel parked his car in the closest uncovered parking spot and got out, walking around to Sam’s door.  “Let’s get you to bed.”

“I like bed.”  Sam grinned up at Gabriel.  “You could go to my bed.”  

When Gabriel reached in to undo his seat belt, Sam leaned forward to kiss his cheek.  Unfortunately, his aim was a little off, and he wound up kissing Gabriel’s ear.

“What am I going to do with you, Sam?” Gabriel asked lightly as he manhandled Sam from the car and kicked the door shut.

“You wanna do things with me?”  Sam tried to wiggle his eyebrows suggestively, but they weren’t cooperating.  So he used his fingers to move his eyebrows manually.  “I got wiggly eyebrows.”

“Damn it, Sam, I’m gonna wind up dropping you if you keep making me laugh.”  Gabriel wrapped Sam’s arm around his shoulders, got a good grip on Sam’s waist, and started slowly towards the apartment building.  “What floor?”

“I have carpeting.”

Gabriel sighed.  “What floor do you live on?”

“Oh, ummm I’m in--it starts with a seven.”

“So the seventh floor?”

“Okay.”

Sam and Gabriel made it all the way to the elevator.  Gabriel adjusted his grip on Sam and hit the button.  Sam practically squealed in delight.

“It’s pretty.” Sam smiled down at Gabriel.  “Just like you.”

The elevator dinged and the door slid open.

“Alright, Prince Charming, in we go.”

Once they were inside, the doors slid shut and Gabriel hit the button marked with a ‘7’.  A moment after the car started moving, Gabriel looked up to see Sam turning green.

“Stop!”

Gabriel hit the button marked ‘Stop’ and all movement halted.  The elevator doors slid open and Sam flung himself out of Gabriel’s arms, out of the elevator, and onto the ground of the fourth floor hallway.

“Gonna be sick,” Sam groaned.

“Sam, we’re almost there.”

“Don’t wanna.  Makes me feel all oogy.” Sam rolled onto his side and clutched his stomach.  “Please--don’t make me.”

“Alright.” Gabriel sighed and stepped out of the elevator.  

Sam pushed himself to his knees, then used Gabriel as support to lift himself up to his feet.  He sighed when Gabriel tucked himself back at his side.

“Why the long face, kiddo?” Gabriel asked, resuming the earlier position of Sam’s arm around his shoulders and his arm around Sam’s waist.

“You’re not gonna date me now, huh?” Sam chewed on his bottom lip in worry.  “I messed it all up, ‘cause I got sick.”

“Of course not, man!” Gabriel led him towards the stairs.  “You still owe me a rabbit.”

“It’s gonna be a white rabbit.”

The two took the stairs, one at a time.  

In between the fifth and sixth floor, Sam tried to get his legs to work better--he’d be able to impress Gabriel if he could take two of the steps at once.  He just forgot to tell Gabriel what he was going to do, and they both fell, with Sam landing on top of Gabriel.

“Sam, kinda need to breathe.”

“If you can’t breathe, I can do the mouth-mouth thing.” Sam rolled onto his side, off of Gabriel.  When he was sure Gabriel was looking, he winked.  

“Sam.” Gabriel shook his head.  “It works better when only one of your eyes close.”

“Oh.” Sam tried winking again.  “Is my eye closing?”

“Both of them are closing.” Gabriel chuckled as he pushed himself up from the stairs.  “It’s a good thing you’re cute.”

“You’re short,” Sam commented once Gabriel had him on his feet again.  “And sexy.  Short and sexy.  I’d like to keep you in my pocket and take you out and play with you when I’m bored.”

Gabriel momentarily lost his footing.  Thankfully, he managed to keep them both upright.

“Sam--do me a favor?”

“Anything for you, my little Lucky Charm.”

“Shit.” Gabriel had to stop moving while he laughed.  “Shut up, or we’ll never make it to your apartment.”

“Kay.”

By the time they were almost to the seventh floor, Gabriel was slightly winded.  It didn’t help that Sam was resting most of his weight on him.

“Man, you are heavier than I thought you’d be.”

“Then you can be on top.”

Gabriel groaned, in what was  not pain.  “What did I tell you about saying anything?”

Sam sighed, but moved his hand to his lips and made a locking motion with his fingers.  He could be quiet if it meant Gabriel would continue to hold him.

“Alright,” Gabriel sighed when they finally made it to the top of the stairs.  “Which one is yours?”

Sam worked his jaw, but didn’t part his lips, even though it was obvious he was trying to speak.  He couldn’t--he’d locked his mouth shut.  How did Gabriel expect him to say anything?

“Really, Sam?” Gabriel looked up at him.  “Unlock your lips and tell me which apartment is yours.”

Dutifully, Sam used his invisible key to unlock his mouth.

“708.  At the end.”

“Which end, Sam?” The only door Gabriel could clearly make out the number of was right in front of them, and it was 704.  

“Ummmm.” Sam looked to the left, and then to the right.  Then he held out his free arm and squinted at it.  What was that trick he used to remember which direction to go in?  “I think it’s that way.”  He pointed to the left.  “Yeah.  That way.  ‘Cause they’re backwards.”

“O-kay.” Gabriel began to lead him to the left.

Sure enough, the numbers on the doors got bigger.  Soon, they were standing in front of a door with the number 708 painted across the top.

“Keys?”

“Right.” Sam pulled his arm from Gabriel’s shoulders reluctantly, and began to search his pockets.  “Did I give them to you?”

“No, Sam, you didn’t.” Gabriel suddenly looked very weary.

That didn’t sit right with Sam.

“I’m gonna take you out for ice cream.  Is that alright?”  He cocked his head to the side.  “Are you sad, Gabey?  Heh.  Gabey.  Gabey-baby.” 

“I swear to god, Sam,” Gabriel said through clenched teeth.  “Get your fucking keys out of your fucking pants or I will fucking kill you.”

“Oh, right.”  Sam proudly pulled his keyring from his pocket and showed it to Gabriel.  “Here we go!”

Gabriel snatched the keys from Sam’s hand and quickly located the only key with a number engraved on it.

“Why does your key say 608?” He glared up at Sam.

“‘Cause that’s my apartment number.” Sam smiled.

“You, my friend, are going to owe me about twenty rabbits when all this is over with.” Gabriel grabbed Sam’s arm and led him back to the stairs.

“Do you like me, Gabriel?” Sam asked when they hit the sixth floor.  “‘Cause I like you.  I like you even more than I like my brother, Dean.  Did I ever tell you about Dean?  He drives a car.  But it’s not yellow.”

“Here’s your apartment, Sam.” Gabriel unlocked the door and opened it.

“I should probably go to bed.” Sam yawned, then grinned.  “You wanna go to bed with me?”

“I’ll put you to bed, but that’s it.”

Sam placed his free hand on Gabriel’s chest to stop him from moving further into the apartment.

“I’m sorry you’re mad at me.  I just--I really like you.” He felt like crying at the frustration he saw on the other man’s face.  He knew that frustration must have been his fault.  “I--I’m not good at this kinda stuff.  My brother--he could knock the pants off of anyone.”

Gabriel snorted.

“Please don’t be mad at me?”  If ever there was a time he hoped his face was in the correct position for what his brother called his ‘puppy-dog’ look, it was now.  “I’ll even go to a carnival with you if it’ll make you not be mad at me.”

Slowly, the corners of Gabriel’s mouth turned up.

“We’ll see.” Gabriel nodded towards the interior of the apartment.  “For now, though, let’s get you to bed.”

“Kay.”

Gabriel turned on lights as they made their way through the tiny apartment.  Sam felt a wave of embarrassment hit him when he saw all the boxes he had yet to unpack.  So much for impressing Gabriel with his home.

“Sorry for all the boxes.”

“You said you just moved in last weekend.” Gabriel shook his head and smiled.  “I’d be a little freaked out if you  didn’t have any boxes left to unpack.  It’d be weird.”

“Oh.” Sam pointed to the door at the end of his hallway.  “Bedroom.”

Gabriel nodded and led him down.  He flipped on the light inside the room before moving to get Sam to the side of the bed.

“I’ve missed my bed.” Sam grinned tiredly and turned, wrapping his arms around Gabriel.  “I’m gonna go to sleep now.” He collapsed onto his mattress and wound up pulling Gabriel down with him.

“Uh, Sam--Sam?” Gabriel nudged him.  “Sam, you need to get some sleep.”

“I am sleeping.”  Sam closed his eyes and faked a snore.  “See?” He opened his eyes and smiled at Gabriel.

“Yeah, I see.  But, uh--you gotta let me up.”

Sam tightened his grip.

“That’s not letting me up, Sam.”

“If I let you up, you’re gonna go away.  I don’t want you to go away.”

“I’ve got a bed of my own that I’m missing.”

Sam nuzzled his face into Gabriel’s hair.  “You gotta stay here.  I could die in my sleep.  I just had surgery.”

“I know you just had surgery.  But you aren’t going to die in your sleep.”

“I could.  I need you to watch over me.”

“How about this--if I promise to watch over you, will you let me up for a little bit?”

“Promise you’ll stay?”

“Promise.” 

Sam looked down at Gabriel’s hands--none of his fingers were crossed, so he  must be telling the truth.

“Kay.” Sam released his hold on Gabriel.

“You go on to sleep, Sam.  I’ll be right back.”

 

Gabriel waited until Sam’s eyes closed before he extracted himself from the bed.  He pulled the blanket from the foot of the bed over Sam, then headed for the door.  Before he shut off the bedroom light, he took one last look at Sam’s face.  Sighing, he flipped the switch and left.

 

Sam woke up feeling like he’d swallowed a bag of cotton before going to bed.  He groaned and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands.  What the hell happened yesterday?

He pushed himself up and felt a twinge in his side.  Oh yeah--surgery.

Suddenly, everything came flooding back.  The cute taxi driver, the horrific spectacle he’d made of himself on the drive back to his apartment, the elevator, the stairs, the bed--all of it.

“What the fuck is wrong with me?” Sam flopped back onto the bed.  “I am the world’s biggest idiot.” He dragged his hand down his face.

For several minutes, the events of the previous night played over in Sam’s mind, each memory punctuated by a mortified groan. 

“And so what do I do?  I try to trap him in bed with me.  God, what a fucking idiot.”  

He finally pushed himself completely from his bed.  He needed some water--actually, he probably needed some whiskey to try and drown out the images in his mind.

He made his way to the kitchen and grabbed his only unpacked glass and filled it from the tap.  He tried to repress everything he remembered doing as he chugged down the water, but to no avail.  

And he couldn’t tell if he thought Gabriel not being in his apartment when he woke up was good or bad.

On the one hand, if he never saw Gabriel again, then maybe he’d eventually be able to forget all that he’d done and said.  On the other hand--he’d spent the last week alone, missing his brother and his friends, and feeling more than a little lost.  It was kind of nice, being able to pretend that someone cared about him enough to put up with him through all that.

Not that it mattered now.  Gabriel was gone.

Depressed with his new line of thinking, Sam shuffled out of the kitchen, intending to head back to his bedroom, when he noticed his couch wasn’t covered in boxes.  Instead, the boxes had been replaced by a lump covered by a blanket.  Sam eased closer and nearly dropped his glass in surprise when he realized Gabriel was asleep on his couch.

“Gabriel?” Sam leaned over and poked his shoulder and the other man flailed out, his hand landing right across Sam’s face.  “Fuck.”

“Oh, shit!  Sam!  I’m sorry!” 

Gabriel scrambled up off the couch, knocking the blanket to the side only to reveal his sleeping garments consisted of socks.  Only socks.  As quickly as he could, he snatched the blanket up and wrapped it around his chest, under his arms.

“Gabriel--what are you doing here?” Sam had to blink a few times to process what he’d just seen.  His brain was still working a little slow, but was definitely impressed.  “Not that I’m not glad to see you, but I thought you left.”

“Promised you I’d stay.”

“But I heard you leave.” Sam distinctly recalled the sound of his front door opening and shutting after he’d already been put to bed.

“Had to shut the meter off, kiddo, or you’d wind up with a fare bigger than my cell number.” Gabriel grinned.  “Which, by the way, is now programmed into  your cell...you know, just in case you’re itching for me to see your junk.” 

Sam just stared at him in disbelief.

“Also.” Gabriel hopped over to a stack of boxes and grabbed a few papers that had been sitting on top. “Figured you might need these.” He handed them to Sam.  “Post-surgical care information.”

Sam looked up from the papers, a small smile forming.  “I’m glad you stayed.”

“Me too.” Gabriel smiled.  “Because somebody owes me a rabbit.”


End file.
